I want to talk about something in this article that scares the hell out of most people and that is RISK. Taking a risk can be a sketchy prospect for most people. Before we start talking about what risk is:

Definition of; Risk (excerpt from Merriam Webster Dictionary)

1 :possibility of loss or injury :peril
2 :someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard
3 a :the chance of loss or the perils to the subject matter of an insurance contract; also :the degree of probability of such loss
b :a person or thing that is a specified hazard to an insurer
c :an insurance hazard from a specified cause or source war risk
4 :the chance that an investment (such as a stock or commodity) will lose value
— riskless play \ˈris-kləs\ adjective
— at risk
:in a state or condition marked by a high level of risk or susceptibility patients at risk of infection.

Well as we can see, the word risk has many meanings depending on how it is applied to a situation. But let’s take a moment to look at how risk applies to our lives when we undertake the journey to improve our lives be it personally and professionally.

It’s easy to dream about the life you wish you were living. But, when we look at major change in our lives, most of us are taking a big step out of our comfort zone of what we are used to and of what we know. When the realization hits about what we are reaching for and what we may have to risk to grab the brass ring, it scares the crap out of us. Instead of looking towards the rewards that are to be gained, we look at what we could potentially lose. That is usually our material possessions even worse, it may change the way others look at us. Instead of seeing that perfectly constructed veneer that has been so carefully constructed to fool others into believe that we really have things together, it could reveal us to be actually vulnerable…even, heaven forbid…human.

This is not talking about strangers, friends, people that are close to us, or even you. Being completely transparent, I am talking about myself as well. This is a real issue that I have struggled with in the past and continues to challenge me personally to this day. No matter how thick of skin we have, somewhere deep we all care about what others think of us. With the world being the way it is these days, it seems like everyone is ready to pounce on us if we make the slightest misstep. So risk? I’d have to say that there is some risk involved in the pursuit of what you want so badly. But, there always is risk in any endeavor in life worth pursuing. What about what you stand to lose? If what you have is so great then why do you want something different than what you already have, it’s great right? So do you really have so much to lose by going for it?

Stuff? They make more of it everyday, there is no danger of running out of it.

Money? They make more of it constantly and there is billions, if not trillions of it in circulation all over the world. Again, no danger of running out of it.

Friends? You found the ones you have, right? There are over seven billion people on this planet, ‘nuff said?

Respect and love? Would anyone that respects and love you stop just because because you fail at something? Love is unconditional and respect? Well, have you ever lost respect for someone to works hard and is willing to try for what is important to them?

One more thing to remember is that anyone who has ever been successful did not do so without taking some serious risks. The only thing to remember that there is a big difference between taking a risk and gambling. Gambling leaves your chances up to the luck of the draw. Those who are successful have learned from their mistakes and failures. They know the odds because they have done their research and taken effort to ensure that any risk they take is minimal. In other words, they take calculated risks by making their own “luck”.

As we come to to the end of this article the one take away is that you need recognize is that anything that is worth having comes with a price. That price is that if your arms are full of what you can’t let go, there is little room to hold what is yet to come. Let it go! Because if you want to win, you have to realize that risk is part of the game!

Thank you for reading this week’s article. Please join me for the next article in this series, Surviving In The Ordinary Vs. Living In The Extraordinary.

Fear is an excellent motivator! But, saying this will likely provoke a variety of reactions from many people depending on their perspective. Some will disagree by saying that fear is not a motivator, stating instead that fear is a de-motivator. It demotivates people to do things by scaring them into not taking chances and helps keep them safe from harm. Some could say that fear of volatile financial markets keep people safe from losing their money by causing them to hold on tightly to their money, There are many arguments that are offered about how fear keeps people erring on the side of caution and they would be right, but would they? There is also compelling arguments offered towards the contrary. How does one explain people that, despite the fear that they feel, choose to take part in extreme sports like bungee jumping, parachuting, white water rafting, competitive fighting, and auto racing. Also, what about those individuals that, despite the known risks, choose to spend large sums of their own money investing in stocks when it seems like the markets are crashing down around them? Would you call them crazy or crazy like a fox? Does the name Warren Buffet ring any bells? There can be rewards to facing your fears, whether it be something as simple as an adrenaline rush or making vast amounts of money.Everything, and I do mean everything, comes with a level of risk and people make choices to do them everyday,. The point in saying this is that you have to make choices in life to do things that sometimes involves major risks where others have very little. The problem lies in that fear also often makes no distinction in deterring us from doing things where there is no real danger, no risk, and no reason to be scared of what is simply a change to what we are used to and are comfortable with.In fact fear, if channeled, can be a strong source of power and motivation to achieve great things in our lives. When you take a moment and assess what is scaring you about what you are about to do, you can determine whether you are facing something that can harm you or not. If there is no danger of encountering real harm then you can will yourself to move past the feeling of being afraid and focus that energy towards the task at hand. Instead of allowing fear to control you, you will control it and master it. You will move forward and get through whatever it is that you need to do.

Focus your mind on the end result that you are wanting to achieve. Of course, you need to have a plan and you want to put it down in writing to refer to as you go along. But, do not try to take in everything you have to do to get to the end of what you are doing. Instead, break what you are doing into chunks in your mind. Start what you are doing and work from one chunk to the next, only applying the energy you are feeling to the one chunk you are working on in this moment. Work in a logical order from beginning to end. Do not allow yourself to become distracted and do things out of order. This will lead to you not knowing how to get back to where you started and that can cause anxiousness, which leads to fear.By only allowing yourself to focus on only one chunk of your task at a time it allows you to complete one chunk and then move on to the next. With each chunk that you complete, you will feel a growing sense of accomplishment and confidence that will contribute positive energy to the energy that you channel from your fear. With each chunk you will gain momentum and as that positive energy infuses the energy from your fear you will gain even more power to complete your task as the energy from your fear changes from negative to positive. When you confront and engage your fear as the energy you need to start something big, something that is outside of your comfort zone; it will create a powerful chain-reaction that will push your past any initial resistance and on to the point of critical mass when any remaining negative energy is converted to positive. Once you reach that point, there is nothing stopping you from achieving what you set out to do. Thank you for reading this week’s article in our series on 12 Steps To Leaving Your Comfort Zone Behind Forever. But remember that there is more to changing your life than knowing what to do. The key ingredient is TAKING ACTION on what you learn! I will be traveling, attending Podcast Movement 2017 and working on a number of projects that I will be releasing later this year during August 2017. Please join me again when I return in September when we’ll be exploring the next step in making this positive and permanent life change: Manifesting Change Through Visualization And Action.

Have you ever had a true adventure? A real adventure that kept you excited, your heart pumping, your body flooded with adrenaline, sweaty palms, jittery nerves, had you feeling fully alive and present in the moment? Did your adventure leave you craving more or disappointed that it was over? Living through an adventure often leaves one wanting more because of the feeling that they get while they are experiencing it. Then, when it is over, they often wonder when will they be able to feel that excitement again? When will their next adventure come? The thing is, for some, it never comes again when a person is used to living a life of “security” and when being “safe” comes before living a life that that may be perceived as being a little “risky”.The truth that most people ignore, living in ignorant bliss, is that in the reality that we live in, risk is everywhere and there is no such thing as security. We live in a world where we drive cars, take part in sports, fly in planes, ride on bikes and in buses, we use knives, some people use, and some abuse firearms, we live near streets, use electricity, and subject ourselves to many, many, many different other things that can cause injury or death at any moment. We live also relying on money to pay for many of the things in life that we need and want in our lives. Most of us earn this money by either working for ourselves or by having a job. It has happened over and over in the past where financial markets crash, people lose their jobs, their savings, their investments, their homes, cars, you name it… Security? What security? In this world we have wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, drought, monsoons, tsunamis, and dozens of other natural disasters that plague us no matter where we live. Along with robberies, muggings, murder, and some generally bad people living everywhere. To be sure, this world we live in is not by any means safe. Now before I scare you to death (no pun intended), I say all this to make a point. While we try to live our lives oblivious to the things that can happen at anytime to us, it is impossible to protect yourself from everything, in every way, every day. Despite all this, there are many people who try to protect themselves by not doing anything that presents a perceived risk to their life, limb, possessions or money. Some will not fly in a plane, but they will get in a car everyday to drive to a variety of locations at an even greater risk because they do not look at it the same. Some people will not invest in stocks, bonds, or funds because they perceive it as too risky. Yet, they will go to the casino and lay down that same cash at a table, pump it into the slot machines or spend it on that newest, latest, greatest gadget that breaks after a month or two; leaving them with nothing. It can be interesting to take a step back and look at what people define as risky and why.But, there are others, the trendsetters, the movers,the shakers, the rich, the powerful, the adrenalin junkies, the athletes, the heros, the fearless, the ones who get it done, THE ADVENTURERS. It is the people who live their lives as an adventure that other people look up to and admire (even if secretly). Who do you think is getting the most out of life? The person blazing a trail of their own or the person that is following the trail that is already cleared for them? Helen Keller once said that “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”. Truer words have never been spoken. Think about how life has evolved on earth. Animals in the wild never know what the next day will bring for them. They live their lives at risk everyday. They raise their young to be strong and survive the rigors and dangers of the environment they live in. They know nothing of security or safety. They live in the here and now. Their senses tuned in to what is around them, alert to adapt and respond to changes quickly, or else. It is the instinct of survival. We as humans also have an instinct for survival. The problem with our instinct is that we often confuse it with fear. Then we relate that fear to things that pose no real threat to our existence and pay little heed to it in the face of real and present threats. This is why some get a thrill from driving at high-speeds, racing or otherwise, (no matter the danger) while others fear standing in front of a crowd and to speak where there is no real threat at all. When looking at life without the rose-colored glasses on, you soon realize that we are exposed to real and perceived threats everyday. Whether we choose to expose ourselves to living adventurously or not. We were not brought into this world to be sheep, we have actual sheep that do that job just fine without us adding to their population. Think about some of the great “adventurers” from our past that changed the world we live in and the way we live. What would our world be without things we take for granted? Electricity, modern transportation, housing, freedom, and all the millions of other things that makes life in the modern world easy in comparison to a hundred or so years ago. It is that spirit of adventure that creates innovation and invention. A sense of adventure in one’s life inspires and motivates a person to reach farther, do more, pursue a life of abundance and achievement.What you need to take away from this article is not fear of what can happen to you, or sense of foreboding over the negative things that occur in the course of your life. Instead create a realization that things can happen whether you live a “safe and secure” life or a life filled with adventure and a desire to live your life to the full. Yes, you should plan for your future by creating what financial and relational security you can as well as being a responsible, accountable, and ethical person. BUT, you can also live your life in such a way that you are able to to experience all that this life has to offer, while you are able to enjoy all the astonishing and terrifying things that make up the journey of life that you are on. You can do this all, knowing that the risk is the same whether you choose to really live your life, or just survive it.Thank you for joining is for this article on Living Your Life As An Adventure, part 6 of our 12 part series on How To Leave Your Comfort Zone Behind Forever. Please join us again next week as we explore how to Channel Your Fear Into Power.